The production of carbonyl compounds by organic oxidation is well known. One well known process of producing carbonyl compounds by organic oxidation is the acetaldehyde Wacker Process. In this process, ethylene is oxidized to acetaldehyde in the presence of an aqueous copper chloride solution palladium catalyst. This process is disclosed by R. Jira in "Ethylene and It's Industrial Derivatives", Pages 639-659, S. A. Miller, editor, Ernest Benn Limited, London, 1969.
One consistent problem of the acetaldehyde Wacker process is the high production of chlorinated byproducts. The byproducts are derived from acetaldehyde, specifically chlorinated acetaldehyde (mono-, di-, and trichloroacetaldehyde) by oxychlorination of acetaldehyde with cupric chloride; chlorinated methanes from decarbonylation of chloroacetaldehydes or decarboxylation of chloroacetic acids; chlorocrotonaldehyde and chlorinated resins from condensation of acetaldehyde and monochloroacetaldehyde; and oxalic acid from repeated oxychlorination of acetaldehyde and hydrolysis of the products formed. These by-products plus acetic acid result in a significant ethylene yield loss. Chloride is also lost from the catalyst system through chlorination but can be made up by small incremental hydrochloric acid (HCl) addition to the catalyst.
Not only does the production of chlorinated byproducts reduce the product yield through ethylene loss but, from an environmental standpoint, the production of the chlorinated byproducts poses other significant problems since these chlorinated byproducts are hazardous materials and disposal is difficult and costly.
It would, therefore, be very desirable to be able to produce carbonyl compounds such as acetaldehyde at higher yield with reduced chlorination producing less halogenated byproducts.